Year: 2014

Dr. Goldman’s human glial mouse model has been written up in New Scientist.

The idea is not to mimic fiction, but to advance our understanding of human brain diseases by studying them in whole mouse brains rather than in dishes.

The altered mice still have mouse neurons – the “thinking” cells that make up around half of all their brain cells. But practically all the glial cells in their brains, the ones that support the neurons, are human.

“It’s still a mouse brain, not a human brain,” says Steve Goldman of the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. “But all the non-neuronal cells are human.”

Four prominent Rochester researchers shared the state of their research and their experiences discovering and developing useful drugs. Mark Noble, Ph.D., (Biomedical Genetics), Paul Dunman, Ph.D. (Microbiology & Immunology), Harold Smith, Ph.D. (Biochemistry & Biophysics), and Richard Phipps, Ph.D. (Environmental Medicine) all spoke about some of the interesting projects they are working on and some of the struggles and successes they have encountered along the way.

High Tech Rochester’s Lennox Tech Enterprise Center, by virtue of its association with the University of Rochester, is a tax-free zone under the new START-UP NY economic development program.
Taking advantage of HTR’s designation, PharmAdva LLC (www.pharmadva.com), a startup healthcare technology company with roots at the University of Rochester, will locate at HTR. PharmAdva produces and markets an in-home medication-adherence system designed to help people manage multiple medications at home and avoid unnecessary hospitalization or nursing home admission.

The University of Rochester has been identified by the journalNature Biotechnologyas one of the top 10 universities in the nation for the impact of its life sciences research.

“This recognition reflects not only the University’s success in attracting federal research funding, but our ability to translate this research into new ideas and technologies that stimulate economic activity and will ultimately improve lives,” said Stephen Dewhurst, Ph.D., vice dean for Research at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. “It is a testament to the exceptional quality of our scientists and more evidence that our faculty continue to outperform their peers when it comes to the impact of our scientific innovation.”

PharmAdva LLC, a medical device manufacturer, has been approved to participate in the START-UP NY economic development program. The company will locate in High Tech Rochester’s (HTR) Lennox Tech Enterprise Center in Henrietta.

Applications for HTR’s Pre-Seed Workshop (early this November) are being accepted through 24 October. Sign up here: http://htr.org/pre-seed-workshop-application.
In addition to teams, the PSW is looking for Idea Champions. An Idea Champion is someone who works with a workshop team to explore opportunities in an idea or invention.

The fall 2014 round of the Technology Development Fund (TDF) has started. The TDF awards winning applications from faculty, staff, or students up to $100,000 to develop their technology to a commercial endpoint. A submitted invention disclosure to UR Ventures is required for an application. Pre-proposals are due October 15th and can be submitted to Omar Bakht. Learn more at www.rochester.edu/tdf.

As of Wednesday, 17 September 2014 UR Ventures has moved to a new location in the Saunders Research Building. We have kept our mailing address, all of our phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. The only difference is our physical location — SRB suite B360. The transition is scheduled to disrupt our operations for no more than a few hours on the morning of the 17th. We’ll be back in action and ready to respond to all of your intellectual property and technology commercialization needs as soon as possible.